Sean Kilpatrick scored 17 points to lead Cincinnati past Providence 61-44 on Wednesday in a Big East tournament game between teams desperate to improve their postseason credentials.

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JaQuon Parker added 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Bearcats (22-10), who might have solidified an NCAA tournament berth with the win. No. 9 seed Cincinnati advanced to a quarterfinal matchup Thursday with No. 5 Georgetown, the top seed, at Madison Square Garden.

Kadeem Batts led the eighth-seeded Friars (17-14) with 14 points and eight rebounds, but Bryce Cotton - the conference's leading scorer at 19.6 points per game - was held to 12 on 5-for-15 shooting. He missed all seven 3-point attempts, and Providence went 1 for 16 from beyond the arc.